Ice creeper



Aug. 18, 1925 1,550,269

A. LA NCTOT ICE CREEPER Filed Oct. 2, 1923 Patented Aug. 155, 1.925.

1,55a2ae ALPI-IONSE LANCTOT, O13 WESTCHESTER, NEW YORK.

ICE GREEPER.

Application filed October 2, 1923. Serial No. 666,205.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, ALrrroNsn LANCTOT,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Vvestchester, in the county of VVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice Creepers, of which the following is a speciiication.

The present invention relates to anti-slipping footwear, and particularly relates to ice creepers, and one object of the invention is to provide'an ice Creeper having a plurality of friction members, each of which has an ice-engagement face broad or expanded and roughened to provide a number of small, sharp projections extending slightly above the surface of the engagement face, which, while eflicient on all kinds of ice, are particularly so on thin layers of ice covering street pavements and the like, with which the relatively long sharp points usually employed with ice creepers, fail to engage effectually.

Another object is to provide an ice creeper having resiliently supported friction members conducing to ease of walking upon ice.

Another object is to provide an ice creeper of relatively small size, having uncomplicated parts, cheap to manufacture, and readily and quickly assembled.

I attain these objects, and such other objects as may later appear herein by the invention, one of the possible embodiments of which is described by way of example in the subjoined specification, and shown in the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification, in which Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the ice creeper;

Fig. 2 is a plan view as seen from the upper side of the ice creepe';

Fig. 3 is a side view, on smaller scale than Figs. 1 and 2, showing the ice creeper, attached to a shoe;

Fig. 1- is a bottom view of the ice creeper attached to a shoe; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of one of the shells having a friction or ice-engaging member therein, a portion of the supporting or shoe plate, and a portion of a strap showing the manner of securing the strap to the shoe plate.

The device comprises the supporting or shoe plate 10, the attaching straps 11 and 12, the shells 13, the springs 14, and the friction members 15.

The supporting or shoe plate is preferably of steel, and preferably is of the shape shown in the drawing, having a straight rear edge 16, intended to abut against the forward side ofthe heel of the shoe of the user, a bridge portion 1'? extending long-itudinally across the plate 10 upon which, on the under side thereof, the shells 13 are mounted, and a forwardly extending hearing portion 18 upon which the forward part of the arch of the shoe of the 'user rests, the bridge portion 1'? and bearing portion 18 being transversely concaved to receive conformably the convex curve of the arch of the shoe. lhe ends of the bridge por tion 17 extend outwardly somewhat beyond the outer sides of the shells 13, and have therein openings 19 in which links 20 are loosely secured, the straps 11 and 12 being movably secured at one of their ends to attachment members 20, thus providing play of the links 20 in the openings 19 and play of the straps on the attaching members 20, and conducing toeasy adjustment/of the straps. .The plate 10 is provided in the bridge portion 17 with the opposed slots 21 for attachment of the shells 13 to the bridge portion as later described.

The shells 13 are hollow cylinders, preferably of steel, each ofwhich has formed on the upper edge thereof the upstanding opposed lugs 22- and has formed on the interior thereof at its bottom the ledge or flange 23, the lugs 22 being receivable in the slots 21 before mentioned for attaching the shells to the bridge portion, the purpose of the ledge or flange 23 being later stated.

The helix springs 14 are received in the interiors of the friction members 15, later described, and are of a diameter to fit loosely in the interiors and permit compression and expansion of the springs therein.

The friction members 15 are hollow cylinders, preferably of hard steel, open at one end and closed at the other end. Each friction member has an enlarged or bodyportion 24: which is slightly less than the diameter of the interior of a shell 13, whereby the body portion of the friction member fits snugly the interior of the shell for sliding movement of the friction member in the shell, the body portion 24 being engageable with the flange or ledge 23 of the shell for preventing withdrawal of the friction member from the shell atthnt end of the shell.

The closed ends 25 of the friction members 15 are of less diameter than the body portion 2st and on their exterior faces are roughened or otherwise ananged to provide a number or sharp projections or sharp rioges, such as 26, extending slightly above the planes or the xterior faces of the closed ends or the "friction members and int nded to engage with, or bite into, the i e or other smooth surface.

To assemble the ports of the creeper in operative relation, the springs M are inserted. in the friction members 15, the lower ends of the springs being seated on the interior of the closed ends of the friction men'ibers; the friction members are inserted in the shells 13 at the upper ends of the shell the reduced ends 25 ot' the friction members extending through the openings at the lower ends oi the shells, the lugs 22 being passed through the slots 21 of the bridge portion 1? and turned over on the upper side thereof for securing the shells to the bridge portion, the upper ends of the springs 1%- beering against the under side of the bridge portion 1 2", the pressure oi the springs being down word and tending; to force the friction members out of the shells, the tension of the sprirgs being a ranged to maintain the reduced ends of the friction members in such projection from the shells as to permit the engagement tacos 26 o1 the friction inein ers to be in a: plane sulliciently below the plane of the w ar face of the heel of the shoe ot' the user of the creeper to Cllgitxfi Qi'lOCtUtlll), or bite into, the ice or smooth surface; the straps ll are buckled over the te 3 of the shoe of the user and the strips 12 are carried renrwardly and crossed over each other :it the back portion the shoe and erried torrnirdlr 21 id buckled together around the ankle the user, the links 20 and movable atteehment or the straps thereto conducing to ease of adjustof the creeper, and ietion members conducin i ng on the ice.

Having; hus described my invention, it should be understood that there may be moditieotions thereof and rariations therein without departing iroin the spirit of the intention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

claim and desire to protect by "ters Patent is: l. in a creeper of the churn *ter described. binzition with a spring abutment, 0t indrical shell open at both ends and i. l ing at its lower end an annulnr interior hang-:9, a tr etion member of Cj'llllClllCZIl in said shell having a ng szud annular flange and 7 Med one QOltlOll, said closed end :1 plane outer l uce )rovided grog a smooth surceiraole in the iricer between the the spring abutment 'ntn ning; the engagjgement inber in projection beat the shell and we relation.

bination of, a portion and portion and edge: the bridge port on l1 vil t pposed slots therein and haw my; zit oacn end a link. loosely secured thereand bearing portions being cylindrical shells h ends, huving on their upper nding lugs for passing through the shells to the no at their lower friction memwi 'able in said 3' portions enor flanges and portions, laid 1110 outer laees engegingj a receivable in the perzitingg; between ll under side 01 b i drge 1 UOllCElVGU oi the members i "ta-ehment of their FPO 

